Prisoner charged with stealing $133,000 from IRS

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A career criminal serving time at a Tennessee prison is accused of concocting a scheme to file false tax returns in the names of fellow inmates.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/1qIXteb) that 47-year-old James Glenn Collins Jr. will be arraigned next week in U.S. District Court. He is accused of conspiring to defraud the government of more than $113,000 over four years.

According to court records, Collins somehow obtained a roster that contained the personal information of fellow inmates at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary. Authorities say that with help from people on the outside, Collins filed false tax returns in their names. They say the refunds were sent to helpers, who transferred a portion to Collins.